Chapter 12: Kokoro
It was midnight. Ochaco couldn't sleep. In fact, she'd barely slept for the past week. Considering all that had happened, there was too much on her mind.
At least, by now the police had accepted this as a missing person. Izuku Midoriya had vanished without a trace, and no one had any idea where he could have gone.
One thing that Ochaco knew for sure was that Deku would never have disappeared like this without telling the others. Therefore, something bad had happened. She didn't know, nor did she want to imagine, what could have happened. By now, the very worst ideas were beginning to appear in her thoughts, bestowing her with torment she never thought she would be forced to endure.
How could she sleep while Deku was out there? Probably in danger… and alone. It was unbearable. Every minute he was gone was unbearable. What was she doing about it? Worrying about getting some sleep? That wouldn't do. She knew beyond a doubt that Deku would have done everything in his power to find her if she went missing. It was her turn to do the same.
That was the night where she turned her fear and despair into something productive. It was the night where she truly decided she would find him, no matter what.
There was another long corridor, but it only ran in one direction. Ochaco was on high alert, searching every inch of the passage and listening closely for signs of the other villains. This was a legitimate venture into an enemy stronghold. In fact, this place could have been here for years.
Fortunately, there wasn't much in the form of security. Being underground made this facility elusive, so perhaps the ones operating inside were content with that. Even so, there was no telling what else they had in store. After all, to go to such great lengths to establish a secret underground facility, they surely had to be up to something big.
The entire time, Jin Okami requested a stop every ten feet, while Ochaco had to run her Quirk the entire time to keep them floating. Sweat was dripping down his hair, revealing that he'd been using his Quirk numerous times. Considering the risk of encountering these villains, he wanted to make sure to learn as much as possible first.
Eventually, the sound of voices was noticeable once again. "Over there," Jin whispered, motioning to one section of the wall that had some sort of lines traced in. "It's a door. It must lead to the lab."
"How many people do you think are in there?" Ochaco asked quietly.
"At least a dozen…" Jin shrugged, looking suddenly bothered by something.
"What's wrong?"
He took another look into her eyes. "This is a bad place."
"I know," she acknowledged, hoping to avoid letting it add to her burden of nerves.
"If it is unwinnable, you should hold back and wait for backup. I can stall them and acquire as many answers as possible in the meantime."
What seemed like a logical move still grappled with her emotions. "If they're about to hurt you, I'm not going to just stay back."
"They will likely threaten me if I push them hard enough," he admitted nonchalantly. "However, my intention will be to mislead them from their plans."
"How are you gonna do that?"
"I will offer to negotiate with them. The same way that Don Takahiro did."
As unusual as that sounded, it felt like the kind of approach Jin Okami could handle, especially compared to charging in guns blazing.
For now, Ochaco would honor his wishes. Another thing she noticed was the stairway off to the left. "Looks like I can get a vantage point from the level above. Maybe I can get better access to the room that way."
"Good job," Jin said, nodding in impressment. "Looks like you've become a good private investigator after all these months."
"Thanks. I guess this has been a very unusual internship."
The two of them shared a brief period of ease over it. Even so, there wasn't time to draw it out. Jin quickly went for the door, taking one last glance at Ochaco… and then he opened it and calmly went inside.
Before going up the stairs, Ochaco listened for the voices, hoping the response wouldn't be horrific.
"Whoa, who the hell are you?"
"Do you recognize him?"
"No! You?"
Jin's voice interrupted the commotion. "Please remain calm. I will explain my intentions on being here."
As much as she wanted to hear every word, Ochaco needed to be in a better position. She quickly ascended the stairs, passing through the hallway ahead, until she found what she was looking for. There was a room with no door, and once she got in there, she found some computer terminals set up, overlooking the lab. That brought her just above the lab itself, and she could see and hear everything. All she had to do was make sure to keep hidden while she did.
When she peeked over the side to look down, the lab was glowing with lights from different machines, and there were three exam tables. One of them had Neito Monoma strapped in, connected to some tubes and wires. For the time being, he was unconscious. The staff was all lined up, but they had begun to split off upon the interruption caused by Jin Okami. Finally, there was one man who clearly stood out as the leader.
What was unsettling was that the man was Don Takahiro. "I don't remember inviting you here," he said in a deep voice, addressing Jin.
"I understand," Jin replied, trying to make sense of his revelation. "Clearly, I underestimated you, if you were able to travel from your house to this place so quickly."
"Ah… so you've met my brother." The man revealed the nature of his resemblance.
"You're twins?" Jin remained calm, even as he discovered new details.
One thing Ochaco noticed as well was that Jin had his hands in his pockets. He was having to run his Quirk, even while speaking with this villain. No doubt, a difficult ordeal.
"If you found this place, that means he probably told you where it was." His composure was different than Jin's. Don's brother apparently enjoyed talking. Perhaps he had that evil mad scientist persona down.
"I met your brother, but he took no part in guiding me here." For now, it was best to avoid getting trapped through lies. After all, if Don Takahiro had given Jin the location of this place, he would have told his brother about it. "I'm Jin Okami."
"The Wolf?"
"I am."
Apparently, he was aware of Jin Okami's existence, though it was unclear how much he knew about him. "Then you must already know that I am Austo Yudorobo." He looked the part of a villain leader, wearing a dark jacket and black pants, along with a Coppola hat that matched the black shading. "I applaud you for finding this place. Unfortunately, now that you have, you've forced me to take action in response. After all, this place must remain a secret from our enemies."
"You have no shortage of enemies out there," Jin explained. "But make no mistake, I am not associated with them. My role as a private investigator isn't so easily maintained, but I have my methods."
With a curious stare, Austo held a hand up, instructing his henchmen to hold back for now. "So then, what is the reason you're here? Who hired you?"
Unsurprisingly, Jin pointed at Neito Monoma, who remained unconscious on the exam table. "I'm being paid to find him. Therefore, I have completed my job."
"Doesn't seem like you've done much to earn your pay," Austo said with a twisted grin. "Besides, if you report this boy's location, it will create problems for my work. Therefore, I can't allow it."
"As expected," Jin acknowledged. "That is why I am requesting the opportunity to negotiate with you."
Although Austo looked like he wanted to resume his work, he appeared intrigued by Jin's entire approach. "All right then, Okami. We can discuss a trade."
Jin nodded, glancing around at the lab some more, hands still in his pockets. "You're experimenting on this boy?"
"He grew meddlesome," Austo explained. "But he has a useful Quirk. One I am still studying. In time, I will determine the best method of exploiting it."
The entire time, Ochaco felt chills. This man didn't even seem to be concerned with hiding what he was up to. However, she still knew that Jin had to tread carefully. Somehow, he had to get Austo to reveal information without asking too many questions. At the same time, she felt like even after negotiations were over, Austo wasn't going to take kindly to Jin's unwelcome arrival to his private lab. Therefore, negotiating was only going to serve as a temporary solution.
"The power to copy other Quirks. Sounds quite useful." Jin motioned to Monoma, even though the student from Class 1-B wasn't conscious to receive the compliment. "One of your better finds?"
"He's been on our radar for quite some time," Austo explained. "Along with others. We must still pick and choose our targets accordingly."
When Austo looked back at Jin, the Wolf had stoic eyes. It was time to get into it, and Jin chose his words carefully. "You've had him for almost a year. Any progress?"
Austo's eyes widened as he held his breath. Several moments later, he revealed a sly grin and nodded in approval. "Your reputation is mysterious, yet genuine. Tell me, why don't the heroes employ you?"
At least, now Jin got the acknowledgement that he needed. This was the man responsible for Izuku Midoriya's abduction. "You're not associated with the League of Villains either, correct?"
"I intend to reveal myself to them… in time."
That explained why the pro heroes never found answers by investigating the League of Villains. This operation had been taking place for months, unbeknownst to the largest faction of known villains. "I do not offer my services to the heroes," Jin replied. "I work best alone."
"Then I suppose this bodes well for both of us," Austo said, although he remained suspicious. "What do you want then?"
"I need to bring back Neito Monoma," Jin stated. "I'm being paid."
"I still have need for him," Austo replied. "He cannot leave this place."
Despite being turned down, Jin remained content in demeanor. "It need not be today. Eventually, though, I must bring him back."
Austo looked around, surveying the lab, as if to show Jin he was quite busy with his work still. "Let me guess: If I refuse, you'll reveal my secret lab to the police?"
"If I do that, none of us will win," Jin countered. "I know how these things go. You and your operation would elude capture. Even if the police succeeded, I wouldn't be compensated. Therefore, I would not go that route. Instead, I prefer assurances."
"You want to make sure you get paid? Perhaps I underestimated you, Okami." Austo was beginning to walk closer to the Wolf, though it was subtle.
With each step the villain took, Ochaco grew more on edge. Any moment now, she would have to leap down there. She'd already gathered numerous items from the room to use for the encounter. When the time was right, she would fight with everything she had.
"What do you really want with Monoma anyway?" Jin sighed, almost acting like he wasn't interested, even though he was asking. "You've already got the greatest student from the U.A. What's one more to you?"
Although he understood the importance of keeping his work secret, Austo looked to have that side of him that enjoyed gloating. "Midoriya is a valuable asset. The key to everything. He has the Quirk that has garnered the most attention. And yet, no one else saw its potential."
"But you did," Jin added.
"I do."
"What is your Quirk?" Jin asked. "Your brother can change his age. Do you have something similar?"
"My Quirk is Alteration." Austo raised a hand up proudly. "I can take another person's Quirk. However, it is still only temporarily. In that time, I can make use of it by altering myself with the power."
Austo Yudorobo. Brother of Don Takahiro. Jin wasn't sure which last name was the real one, but it made more sense that Austo would have changed his last name to help conceal his identity.
"You borrowed your twin brother's Quirk?" Jin inquired. "And used it to change your age?"
"I can borrow a Quirk temporarily… but I can still use it to alter myself. Some of the alterations remain even after the Quirk is gone. Therefore, I can use Ageless to make myself younger, and then I can remain young after the power is returned."
A strangely frightening use of his power. "So… you 'borrowed' Izuku Midoriya's Quirk? That didn't work out so well, did it?"
"Regrettably, no. His Quirk is unique. It cannot be borrowed, although I have tried. Apparently, he possesses more than one Quirk, and I can only 'borrow' the primary ability. It has certainly been taxing trying to extract this power for so long. Now, we have Neito Monoma, who has the Quirk called Copy. It is similar to mine, only he has the power to hold multiple Quirks simultaneously. This has allowed him to utilize up to four different powers at times. A unique power indeed."
"So… you wish to borrow his 'copy' ability? And that will get you what you ultimately wanted?"
"It is still only one piece of the puzzle… but it could be a big one." Austo grinned smugly.
When it was all said and done, Jin had succeeded in discovering the motive behind Austo's operation. Now, it would be a matter of putting a stop to it. Considering how comfortably Austo Yudorobo revealed his plans, he likely wasn't worried about being stopped by Jin Okami.
Elsewhere, Ochaco was practically stunned. The thought of Deku being experimented on for all these months… it was agony. He was being tortured all this time. Bad enough he was being kept prisoner, but being tortured on top of all that…
She had to keep it together. If she was going to rescue him, she needed to be at her absolute strongest. What's more, she checked her phone. There was no signal down here, and she swore to herself. Even so, the heroes would still find the entrance up above. The only question was how much time was there before they did.
"Now then, about our trade," Austo brought back up again.
"Yes," Jin said calmly. "I understand you need more time with Monoma. What I ask is that you let me take him back eventually, so that his family can have their peace."
"If we do that, he will reveal what has happened," Austo explained. "That cannot happen."
"Of course. However, he need not be alive to tell it."
Even though it was part of the act, Ochaco felt a sting hearing Jin speak so coldly. If that didn't convince Austo that Jin was a villain, nothing would.
"You want to return him dead?" Austo smirked. "You really are the Wolf, aren't you?"
"It is the only way," he said with a shrug. "Anyway, in exchange for this, I will use my resources to mislead the heroes and police to your operations. I will also grant you ten percent of my pay, and I am willing to provide additional information as well."
"Seems like you're too generous."
"If I don't turn up results, I cannot receive anything. I am not greedy. Even one completed job gets me paid substantially. Besides, I could acquire additional jobs if I align my services with your own. Perhaps this can extend into a business relationship of sorts."
"Perhaps." Austo was starting to warm up to the idea. "Still, something about you makes me think you are not genuine. You could just rat us all out and get compensated by the heroes and police alike. Maybe I shouldn't give you the chance."
"That would be the worst route for me," he countered. "I'll lose everything if I do that. There's a reason I am a private investigator and not associated with the heroes. They take professional credit for their acts, and they go to great lengths to assure of it. That would be most inconvenient for any of my work since I would receive no credit. It would make them look bad if a lowly private investigator was the one who found this place, rather than the celebrity professional heroes or the prestigious police force."
Ochaco thought back to her research of the U.A. and was impressed with Jin's explanation. She knew how much the Hero Association praised heroic deeds, and how the entire system was designed to compensate heroes for their acts of bravery. If the heroes didn't receive credit for a deed, it could result in negative publicity. Therefore, the argument made sense.
"You bring up good points." As he thought it over, Austo took another look at Monoma. Maybe this was worth it to improve his stronghold on the operation. Even so, his amber eyes squinted as he let out a low sigh, then he shook his head. "Even so… you are the one known as the Wolf. You wouldn't be so trusting of another person either." As he issued the words, the other agents began to spread out. "I told you all this to see your reaction… but in truth, I don't think you could possibly be worth the risk."
Even then, Jin barely reacted. "Your Quirk is Alteration. You must touch another person with your right hand to use it. Your left hand doesn't work."
"What are you doing?" Austo asked, raising an eyebrow. He was starting to look more impatient now.
Ochaco knew what was happening, though. He was warning her, since Austo Yudorobo possessed the ability to take Ochaco's power… but only if he touched her with his right hand.
Even with the threats surrounding him, Jin went on. "Everyone else here is Quirkless. Good luck."
There was no more time to waste. Ochaco activated her Quirk, levitating the items next to her, and then she leaped over the edge of the room.
The first one to notice was Austo, whose eyes nearly bulged out of his head. "Who is that!?"
Some of the agents spun around, only to be bombarded by the heavy debris that rained down upon them. There were chairs, computers, boxes, pipes, anything Ochaco found loose in the room beforehand. With such a large collection of debris, there weren't any clear paths to escape the assault. One by one, the agents were getting struck, with some of them taking critical hits.
Ochaco's initial attack alone took care of a few of them.
Now on her feet, Ochaco was fired up. Immediately, the nearest agent charged at her, since he had been fortunate enough to avoid the raining debris. He had his arms spread out, ready to try and subdue Ochaco. One of the many approaches she had been prepared for. Ochaco kept her lead leg out, only to pull back just as the agent dove forward. That allowed Ochaco to throw his balance to the front, while she twisted around to the side and seized his right arm with two firm grips. Finally, she leaped back, anchoring her foot in front of the agent's lead leg… where all his weight had shifted. The result was that he crashed to the floor, landing face-first.
That one had been easy enough, but several more agents remained.
Elsewhere, Austo Yudorobo turned his rage back to Jin Okami. "You could have saved us all some time and just made your move sooner."
Despite the furious villain before him, Jin acted unfazed. "There is no rush in acquiring information. I would have thought that you of all people would understand that."
At this point, Austo's patience looked to be completely diminished. He motioned to the agent closest to him, urging him to go for Jin.
With little choice left, Jin held his fists up, prepared to defend himself. As soon as the agent got in range, he charged forward throwing punches. Instead of attacking, Jin stepped away, maintaining a safe distance from his assailant. His strategy was more along the lines of keeping out of range from harm. Even so, the agent chased him relentlessly.
"Somebody, stop that girl!" Austo was shouting at the top of his lungs.
The remaining agents seemed to figure that Ochaco was the immediate threat, so they moved in together.
"Plus Ultra," she muttered, gritting her teeth and clenching her fists.
The first agent to move in range tried to land a wide hook. Ochaco ducked under it, tapping the agent as she passed him. She moved on to the agent behind him, catching him off guard with her nimbleness. Before he could react, she leaped in the air, soaring over his head, levitating with her Quirk. In addition, she caused the first agent to rise in the air as well, while he flailed about desperately. Ochaco timed her moves, deactivating her Quirk so that she descended upon one of the agents near the back. To make her landing count, she brought both knees down on the man's head, then she gracefully rolled with her landing on the floor. Meanwhile, the first agent was dropped down on the man just below him.
"Must I do everything myself?" Austo was walking quickly toward Ochaco now.
She had already been warned not to let him catch her with his right hand. If Austo took her Quirk, she would be helpless against this number of enemies. Before that could happen, she reached down and tapped one of the computers that had already fallen. Along the way, she touched several more objects as well, then began sending them in the air above the lab.
"You're wasting your time!" Austo insisted, still rushing toward her. "There's no way out for you!"
"I've got hours," she replied, feeling the thrill of power. After all these months, she was finally getting the chance to make these people pay for what they did.
The next agent lashed out with a pipe that had originally been introduced from Ochaco's shower of debris. She darted to the side, circling away from each swing, only to dash in the other direction to slow down her attacker. Once she had an opening, she grabbed the pipe with two hands, then brought them both into the air with her Quirk. While the agent began to shout in fear, Ochaco ripped the pipe from his hands, then kicked him with both feet. The agent got sent floating across the room, headed for the wall, powerless to do anything about it.
Meanwhile, Ochaco used the jets in her boots to send herself back down toward her next target. She unleashed an aerial roundhouse kick to one man, hitting him hard. When she brought her foot over for the second kick, she blasted heat from the thrusters toward the agent's head, resulting in a shrill scream as he covered his face with both hands.
"Get the hell back here," the man pursuing Jin demanded, growing more irritated the longer he had to chase him.
"I have not left," Jin insisted. "You merely need land a strike."
Just when the agent began to sprint, Jin shifted and leaped forward with an awkward punch. It connected, causing the agent to swear angrily. He managed to get a grip of Jin's collar, which prevented the Wolf from retreating this time. A few solid punches got through, and Jin felt blood oozing from his nose. The fourth punch sent him crashing to the floor in a daze.
"I'm gonna beat you to death," the agent said with a grunt. "You should have used your head before coming here."
"If only you knew," Jin muttered, rolling his eyes, even while lying in pain.
The agent reached down for him, trying to grab his throat. However, Jin lifted his legs up, throwing out desperate kicks.
One connected, catching the agent square in the jaw. "Damn you!" he exclaimed. In retaliation, he stomped his foot down on Jin's left wrist, pinning it down. Before Jin could dislodge it, the agent brought his other foot down on Jin's elbow with a vicious impact.
The result was immediate. Jin screamed in agony, knowing at once that something snapped.
Although she was still busy fighting, Ochaco quickly turned and realized the peril her partner was in. "No!" she screamed, and immediately fired her jets, flying in that direction with full speed. In fact, she came in so quickly that the agent barely had time to spin around before he was tackled. Ochaco took him down so hard that he was knocked out from the impact.
Despite the threats around her, Ochaco hurried back over to Jin. "You're hurt! Hang on!"
"Do not worry about me yet," he reminded her. "Concentrate. Prioritize your issues properly."
Even with the warning, Ochaco got jumped by two agents. They simultaneously seized her arms, pulling her away from Jin, while she struggled against them.
"Don't let her go!" Austo instructed, rushing over to them, right hand outstretched. "Let's see how high she can float without her Quirk!"
There were only a few moments left before she lost the battle. Ochaco knew she could handle two more agents… if only it were that simple. But one touch from Austo Yudorobo's right hand and she would lose her Quirk. With that, she would be too weak to stop them.
The only choice was to break free. Ochaco ducked down, causing the two agents to bump heads as they held onto her arms. She freed her left arm, then punched the other agent with an uppercut.
It was too late. Austo came in fast, bringing his right hand toward Ochaco's shoulder. However, he ended up bumping into a different figure… Jin, who managed to leap to his feet, despite his injury. "What?" Austo stammered in shock.
Sure enough, Austo's Quirk functioned properly. Only instead of taking Ochaco's Quirk, he took Jin's.
The effects were immediate. Austo was bombarded with visions, running through his mind, coming from all directions. There were so many visualizations that he had to close his eyes. Even then, the visualizations flooded in, so he tried covering his ears. All he could do was scream, desperate to drown out the endless river of past events. In a few moments, he fell to the ground.
From there, Ochaco gave each of her foes a Gunhead hip toss, putting an end to the last of the resistance. "Jin! Are you okay? What just happened?"
"He took my Quirk," Jin revealed. "Looks like he doesn't inherit my degree of control over it. It's overwhelming his mind."
As much as she hated Austo Yudorobo, Ochaco could barely look at him while he was suffering like that. Still, she had to make sure he couldn't get away, so she levitated him over to one of the exam tables, then strapped him down.
With that taken care of, Ochaco hurried back over to check on Jin. "Looks like your arm is broken," she pointed out.
"I don't need Visualization to see that," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Just shut up," she said, unable to resist a relieved grin.
"I'll be fine for now," Jin insisted. "We shouldn't press our luck. I'll see to Monoma."
Ochaco had no objections. She took one last look around the room, making sure the agents were all incapacitated, and then she moved on. There was another door across the room, and she headed for it.
With no more hesitation, Ochaco bolted through the next door, taking the corridor deeper into the dark, where the lights weren't even on. More doors were this way, and she tried them all, one by one. Just empty rooms, likely the living quarters for the staff.
Eventually, Ochaco found one door that stood out from the others. When she opened it, there was a stairway, leading even deeper underground. It resembled some sort of basement. Ochaco was getting goosebumps, but she pressed on anyway. The place looked completely empty, but she had to be sure before she moved on.
After a while, Ochaco stopped moving… and started listening. That was when she heard clinking chains. Someone else was there. "Hello?" she asked, still unable to see much of anything.
Finally, Ochaco spotted a lamp hanging from the ceiling. She pulled the chain switch so that it turned on and illuminated the room. There, across the room, was a figure lying on the floor. The person was frail, and he had a thick chain attached to his left ankle. A cage kept him sealed up as well.
It didn't matter what she saw… Ochaco already recognized him. "Deku…" she said, her voice cracking as all her emotions bubbled to the surface. She needed to say it again. "Deku!"
There was a low moan, and the person rolled over, revealing green eyes, the one feature that hadn't been stripped away from the torture. Izuku Midoriya was still alive, although he looked nearly lifeless now.
With a graceful dash, Ochaco swooped down to him. She got her hands on Deku's cheeks, staring into his emerald eyes with her auburn brown ones. "Deku? I'm here. I'm here, Deku."
He just continued to stare forward, not really even looking at her. Not looking anywhere. Deku's gaze was devoid of drive or intent. He was nothing like the person she once knew… and loved.
"Don't worry, Deku," Ochaco spoke soothingly to him anyway, even with tears streaming down her eyes. "We're getting you out of here. You're safe now. We're going back home." Even while she was consoling him, she was so desperate to have him in her arms again. No longer able to resist, she hugged him tightly.
"Oh…Cha…Co…" His voice was faint, but he did speak. "Ur…ra…ra…ka…"
"It's me," she assured him, barely able to release him long enough to inspect his face again. "It's me, Deku. I found you. I'm sorry it took me so long. I found you."
Suddenly, Deku's right hand reached for her. He put two fingers on one of the lapels in Ochaco's outfit… where the pin was. The sun token that Deku had given to her as a gift.
"I remembered to wear it this time," she said, finding the will to get in a smile amidst all the tears.
Izuku Midoriya was a terrible mess, after being imprisoned for nearly a year… but he managed a smile anyway.
Ochaco hugged him tightly. She was never releasing him again.
Aftermath
The entire country lit up with the news. The lost boy had finally been found, one year after originally disappearing. There was no shortage of elation. People everywhere rejoiced, and the media soaked it all up.
In truth, Izuku Midoriya was still no good form. He'd been deprived of sunlight the entire time he'd been held captive, he was sick from poor hygiene, and he was mentally shattered. Upon being brought out of that place, Deku's first response was to go back there, as if he'd be killed if he left. Trauma didn't even begin to explain what he had.
Everywhere Deku went, Ochaco Uraraka stayed by his side. She escorted him to the infirmary, stood next to him when the heroes came to visit him, and she slept in the chair by his bedside each night at the hospital. Ochaco was also there when Deku's mother arrived. Only then did Ochaco volunteer to leave Deku for a few moments, so he could have time with his mom, but Mrs. Midoriya insisted that she stay. Being reunited with her son only happened thanks to Ochaco's efforts, and she could only imagine how she was ever going to show the full extent of her gratitude.
Austo Yudorobo and Don Takahiro were both taken into custody, along with their henchmen. During the encounter, Jin Okami had secretly recorded his conversation with Austo on his tablet, which provided good information on the villain's motives for his operation. In the end, the police commended Jin for his efforts, which got him feeling strangely appreciative.
One day, Ochaco woke up from a nap, and Deku was sitting up in bed. As soon as he noticed she was awake, he smiled at her. "Good morning," he said in a soft voice.
"Good morning," she answered calmly, returning his smile.
Deku often glanced away, like he was paranoid. It was one of many side effects from the trauma he endured. This morning, however, he was perfectly calm. "Thank you, Uraraka-San," he told her simply.
It was too early in the morning for tears, but Ochaco felt them beginning to flow all the same. "You can call me Ochaco, remember?"
"Ochaco," he said with a nod.
She wiped a few tears away as she reached for Deku's hand. "How are you feeling today?"
For a few moments, Deku didn't respond. Instead, he appeared to inspect himself, as if he needed to clarify. Eventually, he met her gaze once again. "Better."
"Good," she said graciously. "You're gonna get better every day."
Suddenly, Deku's eyes widened. "What about school? You're missing class, aren't you?"
Upon being reminded of that, Ochaco looked away, trying not to dwell on that aspect. However, she had no interest in deceiving Deku, not after all he'd been through. "Deku… I dropped out of the U.A. for the time being."
"Huh?" He looked shocked. "But Ochaco… your dream…"
"I'll never give up on it," she assured him confidently. "But right now, I'm taking a break. I'm going to help you, Deku. With everything. You can count on me. Whatever you need, just ask me, and I'll get it."
It was still hard for him to process what that entailed, but he was simply relieved to know that she would be with him often. Eventually, Ochaco left her chair, climbing up on the bed next to Deku, where she rested her head against his chest. They were both cut off from their relationship a year ago, but now they were starting to return to form.
Later in the day, they received a visitor. A knocking rang at the door, and Jin Okami peeked into the doorway. His arm was still wrapped up in a cast, after the injury he sustained back at Austo's lab. "I've been trying to reach you," he said, staring impatiently at Ochaco.
"Sorry," she said with a faint smile. "I haven't checked my phone in a while."
Although the Wolf looked irritated, he ultimately relinquished his concerns and grinned. Then he walked forward, standing just before the bedside. "So, you are the famous Izuku Midoriya."
Ochaco scooted aside, giving Deku the chance to finally meet Jin Okami. "Ochaco told me what you did," he explained, although his voice was still weathered. "She told me how you helped find me. Thank you."
"I was merely paid by her to do so," he insisted. "But you are welcome."
Ochaco returned to her feet, then rubbed Deku's shoulders soothingly. "I'll be right back."
He looked up at her, almost pleadingly, but nodded in understanding.
Ochaco and Jin went outside the hospital, until they reached the garden decorating the premises. It was a beautiful sunny day, and peace had finally been restored in their lives. Even so, it came at a cost.
"I have completed the case," Jin informed her. "You hired me to find Izuku Midoriya, and I have done just that."
"You did," Ochaco acknowledged with a nod. In fact, tears returned to her eyes once again. She advanced forward, bringing her arms around Jin with a tight embrace.
"This is unnecessary," he said in surprise, but he ultimately sighed.
"Thank you," she told him earnestly. "Thank you for everything. I would never have found him without you."
"That's true," Jin replied, somewhat arrogantly. Yet after saying it, he shook his head, as if he were embarrassed. "However, I have no doubt that you would have kept on searching, and never given up. You earned that much."
Once Ochaco released Jin, she held both hands in front of her and bowed now. "I will honor our agreement. I will pay you in full."
Although he nodded in approval, there was concern in his face. "You dropped out of school?"
"Just temporarily," she clarified. "I'm going to help Deku with rehab. He's suffering from some really severe effects, so I need to help him with his recovery."
"That's going to take a long time," Jin pointed out. "Have you not done enough?"
"There's no end to what I'll do for him," she said boldly.
Upon hearing that, Jin Okami looked down for a moment. Witnessing her dedication appeared to be pushing him into a realm he was not accustomed to. "You wear your heart on your sleeve," he repeated.
"I do."
"I believe I owe you an apology."
Ochaco tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Apology? For what?"
Jin raised his palm up. "I consider myself a professional private investigator. In my work, I take tremendous pride. My efforts are always set on assuring the best possible service." Upon saying that, he brought his hand to his face, as if he were mad at himself. "However, I made an unfortunate mistake. I never created an official bill of sale for the job you hired me for. Quite unprofessional, I know."
"So, you're… what are you saying?" She wasn't following at all.
At that point, Jin just sighed and lost his patience. "Forget it. Just leave. Go take care of him. You owe me nothing."
It seemed to finally register in Ochaco's mind. "But Jin… no way. I have to pay you. You worked so hard on this case. I am more than willing to pay you, just like I promised I would!"
Even so, he was shaking his head and waving his hands back and forth. "You've given up enough of your future. I won't take any more of it from you."
"Don't worry about my finances, I can afford it. I'll work hard to make up for all of it. Don't you worry about any of that."
Jin stared in disbelief but could only shrug in defeat. "If I take just half, will you be satisfied?"
That didn't even seem to be enough to get her to accept it… but in the end she nodded. They shook hands and made it official.
As they were walking back to the hospital, something else came to Ochaco's mind. "Jin…"
"Yes?" He stopped and turned back around.
"Austo took your Quirk," she brought up. "Back at the lab. As soon as he had your power, he was in tremendous pain. It looked like agony for him."
"I'm sure that it was."
She paused, giving him a look of concern. "Is that really what you went through? Is that what you go through? To use your Quirk?"
Jin glanced away evasively for a moment before responding. "I have my ways of coping with it. It's just part of the job."
Regardless of his thoughts on the matter, Ochaco knew that it wasn't normal for a Quirk to take a toll on a person like that. "I know you don't want to hear this, Jin, but you really should see professionals on the matter. Maybe heroes at the U.A. can help you. You've gotten this far just learning the nature of your Quirk on your own, but there could be better ways to deal with your burden."
He looked unwilling to discuss the matter, but he still nodded. "Perhaps I will consider it. But no promises."
With all that said, Jin appeared ready to make his exit. "Look after Midoriya. And take care of yourself."
"I hope we meet each other again," Ochaco told him.
"I'm sure I'll see you around," he said. "Your future is bright."
With that, the Wolf walked down the road, away from the hospital, hands in his pockets once again, returning to his own life.
That left Ochaco Uraraka to hers, and she went back inside the hospital. As soon as she came back in the room, Deku was smiling at her. She wondered why he wasn't saying anything, but then she noticed the single flower he had in his hand, a white rose. "Where did you get that?" she asked. "It's beautiful."
Deku just grinned as he started blushing. "I just… yeah."
She realized Jin must have snuck the flower in to give to Deku without her noticing. But that didn't matter. Ochaco climbed on the bed next to Deku and gave him a kiss on the lips. The two of them were reunited once again. Nothing would separate them after this.
THE END
